


TK STRAND WEEK

by trashpup



Series: 911, What's Your Emergency? [16]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Fingering, Arson, BDSM, Ballroom Dancing, Best Friends, Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Breakfast in Bed, Canon-Typical Behavior, Caring Carlos Reyes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dancing, Date Night, Dinner, Dinner Date, Drug Abuse, Early Mornings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Exhaustion, Femboy!TK, Ficlet, Fights, Fire, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Growth, High School, Hurt TK Strand, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Impulse Control, Inappropriate Behavior, Jealousy, Light BDSM, Lingerie, Love, M/M, Memories, Mild Smut, Misbehaving, Misunderstandings, Morning Cuddles, Moving In Together, Overdose, Overstimulation, Personal Growth, Pet Names, Photographs, Physical Abuse, Porn With Plot, Pouting, Pouty, Punishment, Recovery, Restaurants, Rewards, Romance, Scrapbooks, Sleepy Cuddles, Smut, Sobriety, Swing Dancing, TK Strand Needs A Hug, Talent Shows, impulsive character, jealous character, sleepy!TK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27260197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashpup/pseuds/trashpup
Summary: 7 days of TK Strand
Relationships: Buttercup & TK Strand, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Marjan Marwani & TK Strand, TK Strand & Everyone, TK Strand & Paul Strickland, TK Strand/Original Male Character(s)
Series: 911, What's Your Emergency? [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663795
Comments: 35
Kudos: 114





	1. GENERAL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to _TK Strand Week_

**november 2nd: THEM BUTTERFLIES THEY COME ALIVE**  
**“you’re so cute when you pout”** \+ _fluff_ » wc. 647  
» tags: breakfast in bed, cuddles, cuddling, early morning(s), pet names, pouting, sleepy!tk  
**november 3rd: JEALOUSY, TURNING SAINTS INTO THE SEA**  
**“wait, are you jealous?”** \+ _romance_ » wc. 2041  
» tags: bar fights, date night, fluff, jealous character, jealousy, misunderstandings, impulse control, love, romance  
**november 4th: SWING YOUR PARTNER**  
**“i can’t believe you dragged me into this”** \+ _friendship_ » wc. 1830  
» tags: dancing, first kiss, friends to lovers, friendship, getting together, high school au, talent show  
**november 5th: GROWTH**  
**“i’m proud of you”** \+ _future_ » wc. 744  
» tags: abuse mentions, drug abuse, ficlet, growth, overdose, recovery  
**november 6th: STAY ON THE LINE**  
**“can i sleep here tonight?”** \+ _hurt/comfort_ » wc. 1469  
» tags: arson/fire mentions, emotional, exhaustion, hurt/comfort, minor character death mention  
**november 7th: SOBRIETY**  
**“i haven’t felt this good in a while”** \+ _fun/birthday_ » wc. 968  
» tags: birthdays, memories, moving in, scrapbook, photo album, sobriety  
**november 8th: CRIME & PUNISHMENT**  
**“free choice”** \+ _smut_ » wc. 1513  
» tags: bdsm, femoby!tk, fingering, lingerie, misbehaviour, overstimulation, punishment, rewards, smut


	2. THEM BUTTERFLIES THEY COME ALIVE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 1: november 2nd  
> » you're cute when you pout + fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't write fluff that often and you can tell! i'm sorry!

“Ty, I have to go get groceries and drop my clothes off at the dry cleaners, you knew this was happening, this isn’t news,” Carlos chuckled, staring down at his needy boyfriend, running one hand through TK’s messy hair. “I’ll be back before you know it, sweetheart.” 

“Do you _have_ to go?” TK whined, looking up at Carlos with wide, puppy-dog eyes. He knew Carlos had to get groceries, he knew they had to eat, and he knew he always had the option to go with Carlos, but it was their one day off together and TK didn’t plan on leaving the house at all. 

Carlos sighed, “Yes, TK, I have to get food for us. You know you are always welcome to come with me.” TK wrinkled his nose, sticking his bottom lip in a pout that Carlos rarely could resist. He released Carlos’ hand from his own, making the other man laugh again. “So you’re staying home, then? Thought so, baby. I’ll be back before you know it, promise.” 

“I love you,” TK mumbled, shuffling forward in bed and wrapping his arms around Carlos’ waist, inhaling his boyfriend’s scent as much as he could before pulling away, holding back a whine as Carlos completely let go of TK. 

“I love you too, sweetheart,” Carlos placed a soft kiss on TK’s forehead, running a hand through TK’s hair again just to see the boy push into his hand with a happy smile on his face, his eyes fluttering closed. “I’ll be right back, lay back down, okay?” 

TK pulled the covers up over his head, curling back into a ball to preserve the minimal warmth he had from Carlos. He mumbled a quick goodbye to Carlos and peeked out from under the covers and watched Carlos leave the bedroom. 

∆

The bedroom door closed quietly behind Carlos as he slipped in, his hands full with a few takeout boxes full of food. TK didn’t stir in bed, but he had a small pout on his lips. Carlos was the first to admit that TK’s pout made his heart race. He absolutely adored TK in every aspect, but his pout was adorable and it suited his face _so well_.

“You know, baby, **you’re so cute when you pout** ,” Carlos murmured, ghosting his lips over TK’s ear, pressing a soft kiss on his temple. He set the boxes down on the bedside table closest to TK and got to work on waking his boyfriend up, knowing it could possibly, and quickly, put the younger man in a sour mood. 

TK mumbled and pulled the covers back over his head, trying to ignore the fact that Carlos was waking him up. He blinked a few times under the covers, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. He felt around on the bed around him for his phone, finding it quickly and tapping the screen to wake it up. 

“Carlos? It’s only been like forty minutes, you’re back quickly,” TK yawned and peered out from the covers, seeing Carlos’ smiling back at him. “Hi, ’Los, I missed you.” 

“Hi, I brought you something,” Carlos said softly as he reached over to the table and grabbed one of the boxes, opening it for TK to see the food that was inside. “They’re from your favourite crepe place.” 

TK held out his hands for Carlos to place the box in and then proceeded to pout when Carlos wouldn’t give it to him. Carlos laughed and ruffled TK’s hair, telling him he had to at least sit up in bed before he could have the crepes. 

“You’re so cute when you pout,” Carlos cooed, kissing TK’s nose as the younger man sat up in bed and held out his hands again. Carlos placed the box down and wiggled his way into bed next to his boyfriend, grabbing his own box of food.


	3. JEALOUSY, TURNING SAINTS INTO THE SEA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day 2: november 3rd  
> » wait, are you jealous + romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this _maybe_ got a little carried away from me, oops

“Hey, TK, you good?” Marjan questioned TK, noticing the younger man angrily chewing on the end of his straw. TK didn’t look up at the sound of Marjan’s voice, he just kept staring straight ahead. 

Marjan turned and followed TK’s line of sight, seeing it end with Carlos and another figure. A woman. The woman was hanging on Carlos’ every word, batting her eyelashes and draping herself over Carlos as much as possible. The cop looked uncomfortable, to say the least. 

TK balled his hands into fists, waiting until she attempted to make a move on Carlos before deciding to stomp over and actually throw hands with a woman. Marjan noticed almost immediately and stopped him from doing so, not wanting TK to get arrested for assaulting someone. 

“Dude, what the hell?” TK shouted, his voice loud, but not as loud as the music in the bar. 

“What are you planning on doing?” Marjan interrogated, crossing her arms over her chest. “Because it looked like you were about to go over and punch this unsuspecting woman in the face for _maybe_ flirting with your man.” 

TK grumbled and crossed his arms over his own chest in a pout, refusing to look at Marjan, knowing she was right. He was going to make an irrational decision when there was an easier way to handle the situation. 

“ **Wait, are you jealous**?” Marjan asked, unable to hold back a smile and a chuckle. TK shot Marjan a dirty look and looked back to Carlos, seeing the woman still grabbing onto every part of Carlos that she could. 

“I’m not jealous, Marjan. I just don’t like seeing this random woman hanging all over my boyfriend,” TK glared at the woman, not risking another glance over to Marjan. The last few words TK spoke were spoken in a growl and he looked like he was ready to jump over the table and leap at the woman hanging off _his_ boyfriend.

“How about you go over there and act like you’re his boyfriend, then? You know, instead of glowering over here like a child,” Marjan snorted, playfully pushing TK’s shoulder and jabbing a finger over her own shoulder at the flirtatious woman.

He couldn’t help the nagging thoughts in the back of his head, telling him to just go and confirm his worst fears. He tried to shake the thoughts from his mind. He tried to tell himself that Carlos wouldn’t do that, Carlos was better than Alex ever was.

TK walked around the table and straight over to Carlos and the woman still flirting with him. He tapped the woman on the shoulder to get her attention away from Carlos before he stepped back into position. 

All his weight was shifted to one leg, one hip jutting out as a result. He had his hands on his hips, using the last ounce of patience he had before acting out. The lady huffed obnoxiously and slowly turned around to face TK and he had to do everything in his power to not step back in surprise. The woman had a few inches on TK and looked strong enough that she could easily toss him across the bar with no issue. 

TK gulped before putting a smile on his face, looking up at the woman, “Hi, I’m gonna need you to step away from _my_ boyfriend, thanks.” 

“Oh, sweetheart, I could make him happier than you ever could. Have you ever kept a man happy? I don’t think you have…” the woman trailed off, looking TK up and down before continuing with a smirk. “It’s probably why the last one left you.” 

Carlos saw something flicker in TK’s eyes for a split second, his gut instinct told him to grab a hold of his boyfriend. He’s glad he did because at the same moment he moved to grab TK, he lunged at the woman.

TK struggled as Carlos held him around the waist with one arm, almost holding him completely off the ground. He turned around to face the woman one last time. 

“You know absolutely nothing about my boyfriend, or me for that matter; therefore you have no idea how fucking happy he makes me. You don’t know how much I love him. Besides, you didn’t even listen to me when I told you that I was not interested in you and in a loving, committed relationship, so you can get lost,” Carlos spat out. 

Carlos kept his composure as he carried TK out of the bar, the man still fighting against his grip. He managed to get them all the way to the car before he set TK down, successfully avoiding a brawl. 

TK straightened himself out, avoiding Carlos’ gaze, just in case Carlos happened to be mad at him for some reason.

“TK, what was that all about?” Carlos asked. 

TK had a scowl on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest in a defensive position, waiting for Carlos to snap and actually yell at him. When it never came, TK opened his mouth to try to explain.

“It was nothing, really. I was being stupid and needy. I was reading too much into the situation and it was nothing,” TK mumbled under his breath, barely loud enough for Carlos to hear over the rumble of cars entering and exiting the parking lot and the faint, pounding music from inside the bar. 

“ **Wait, are you jealous?** ” 

“I– No?” TK sputtered. He looked up briefly and saw Carlos standing in front of him with a smile on his face and TK just ended up pouting and stomping his foot in protest.

Carlos laughed and tilted TK’s chin up so they were making eye contact. He kissed him quickly before opening the car door and helping TK in. He let the conversation drop after that. 

∆

The following weekend Carlos picked TK up from the fire station after having sent TK into work with a nice dress shirt, nice pants, and nice shoes to change into after his shift. All had been sent with no explanation, only a smile and a promise to pick him back up during shift change. 

TK had spent ten extra minutes standing in front of the mirror, worrying about his appearance to try and distract himself from the anxiety that had settled in his stomach and made him feel sick and want to cancel whatever plans Carlos had for them tonight. 

“TK, your boyfriend is here and he’s waiting outside. He looks nice,” Mateo’s voice cut through TK’s thoughts, forcing him back to the present, back to reality. He snapped his head up and whirled around on his toes, eyes wide as he searched for his bag. 

Upon spotting it, TK snatched it and flew down the stairs as quickly as he could, not wanting to keep Carlos waiting. He was struggling for breath by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, but when he saw Carlos standing by the passenger door of his Camaro, the oxygen supply in his lungs was immediately depleted and he was left gasping for air as he remembered to breathe. 

Carlos looked amazing, dressed in dark blue slacks and a white button-up that was only buttoned up halfway, showing a bit of his chest and a skinny gold necklace. TK opened and closed his mouth multiple times before managing to get any words out.

“Wow, you look… you look stunning, Carlos.” 

“Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself, love,” Carlos said, taking TK’s bag off his shoulder as he placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. He slung TK’s bag over his own shoulder and opened the passenger side door for TK to get in.

Once TK was settled, Carlos closed the door and put TK’s bag in the trunk of his car before heading to the driver’s side and getting in. He was excited about the evening he had planned and it wouldn’t be long before TK figured out where they were going, and they were silent most of the ride, right up until TK started looking at their surroundings.

“Carlos, are we going where I think we’re going?” TK asked, turning to his boyfriend with wide eyes. He had a small smile on his face, waiting for Carlos’ response. Carlos could only smile in response. 

“You’re seriously taking me back to Juniper?” TK exclaimed, his voice reaching a near-shrill. Carlos let out an amused chuckle and moved one hand over to cover TK’s. 

∆

Carlos and TK arrived at Juniper a few minutes later with TK practically buzzing in his seat, barely waiting until Carlos had the car in park before he was unbuckling his seatbelt and hopping out of the car.

“Tyler Kennedy, I swear to god, one of these days you’re going to give me a heart attack,” Carlos shouted, shutting off his car and getting out to join his boyfriend. He noticed how excited TK looked so he left his reprimands at that and held out his hand for TK to take. 

They headed inside, Carlos taking the lead and talking to the hostess about his reservation. From there they were taken out to the patio. There were no wine glasses at the table at Carlos’ request, neither of them would be drinking. 

They ordered their drinks and once their waiter returned with those they went ahead and ordered their dinners.

“I will have the roasted chicken breast and is it possible that I could get that without the braised fennel, please? Also, if I may, can I order our dessert now as well?” Carlos asked, closing his menu and handing it back to the waiter as he nodded and wrote down Carlos’ order. “Awesome, for dessert we’re going to do the zeppole.” The waiter nodded again before turning to TK.

“I will do the cacio e pepe, please. Thank you,” TK said quietly, giving the waiter a small smile as he handed over his menu as well. 

Once the waiter had written down both their orders and left, the two men fell into a comfortable silence, staring up at the sky as the sunset for the evening. TK was the first to break the silence. 

“Carlos?” TK’s throat felt dry as he spoke. “Carlos, have I done something wrong?” 

Carlos felt like he got punched in the face as TK asked him that. He was quick to answer, just so he could make sure TK didn’t feel like something bad was about to happen. 

“TK, no, absolutely not. You haven’t done anything wrong at all, in fact, you’ve done quite the opposite,” Carlos reached across the table to cover the hand TK left sitting palm-down. He didn’t miss the way that TK flinched at the sudden movement. 

“TK, this dinner is just my way of trying to show you how much I love you and how much you mean to me, okay? Last weekend at the bar, I know exactly what went through your mind when that woman kept flirting with me. You immediately assumed I was going to cheat on you, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t think like that – you shouldn’t – but I’m not going anywhere.

Carlos knew he was talking a lot, he knew this was going to be a lot for TK to take in, but he really wanted TK to know that he would do anything to protect TK. So, he kept talking, barely taking a pause to breathe.

“I don’t plan on ever leaving your side. I’m not going to cheat on you, lie to you, steal from you, abuse you in any way, shape, or form. I don’t ever want to hurt you. You mean the world to me, and then some. I love you, TK, I don’t care how jealous you get or how irrational your brain is being. I understand and I’m going to be here to tell you that your brain is dumb for making you think I’d cheat on you or never love you. It’s simply not true. I love you, Tyler Kennedy Strand. This is in no way a marriage proposal but think of it as a promise. My promise to you that I will be here no matter what.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's what they ordered at dinner!
> 
> [tk's dinner](https://www.instagram.com/p/CB8wfnQlrYf/?igshid=1mmqycedl2gfv)   
>  [carlos' dinner](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCG_rPzljz2/?igshid=vvny6zzx351u)   
>  [dessert](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFc6Pi5lpSh/?igshid=1pb5wv4qrl12f)


	4. SWING YOUR PARTNER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> –– DAY 3: NOVEMBER 4TH   
>  “ i can’t believe you dragged me into this ” + friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY!

“Carlos, absolutely not, there’s no way. I’m not doing it,” TK shook his head, staring at Carlos like he’d grown a second head. 

“TK, it’ll be fun! Plus, soccer is done for the season, which means you need a new hobby!” Carlos laughed, knocking against TK’s shoulder with his own. TK glared up at him and stuck his tongue out. “Please? At least just try it once or twice and I won’t make you do it if you absolutely hate it, I promise.”

TK sighed and then stopped at his locker and silently turned the lock. He finished the combination and unlocked it, dumping two of his textbooks to the ground of his locker. He looked up and turned to Carlos, who was waiting quietly for TK’s final answer.

“Fine, I’ll do it, but you better have snacks for me,” TK said, pointing a finger up at Carlos and poking his chest. 

Carlos knew what that meant. TK wanted his mother’s homemade chocolate milkshakes. He’d fallen in love with them the first time he had them in middle school and Carlos’ mother had made them nearly every time TK came over since. He’d just moved from New York and knew nobody. Carlos knew that TK loved them, so when TK was having a rough time, he would bring him a milkshake in the hopes it would cheer him up.

If you asked TK, he didn’t need the milkshake to be cheered up, Carlos’ presence was enough, but how can you tell your best friend of six years that all you need is _him_ to feel better? 

“Yes sir,” Carlos gave TK a mock-salute and ruffled his hair, which he knew would be a sure way to rile the boy up. Carlos was at an advantage, five and a half inches of an advantage. 

That height advantage also meant that Carlos had longer arms and that he could hold TK back by his head while TK tried to take swings at him. It made Carlos laugh, usually until he snorted, which made TK laugh. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll see you after class?” Carlos said, releasing TK and patting his head one last time before heading to his final class of the day. TK grumbled his response and headed in the opposite direction, pulling out his phone and texting Carlos a middle finger emoji and nothing else. 

∆

After class ended, TK stood outside Carlos’ classroom, knowing the other teen was still inside, always the last one to leave because he wanted to ask questions. TK was usually the first one out, so in the classes they had together, they compromised and would leave in the middle of everyone else. 

“Ty, how long have you been standing out here?” Carlos asked, his cheeks growing hot when TK looked at his watch and looked up at Carlos with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“Twenty minutes, why do you ask?” 

“Tyler Kennedy Strand, you can’t sit outside my classroom for twenty minutes! You were supposed to be in class!” Carlos scolded, starting to walk towards his locker to grab the folders he’d put in there earlier in the day, along with his laptop.

“Okay, hear me out though,” TK started, holding out his hands defensively, “I hate my teacher, he’s a dick and he bullies me! I asked for help on a worksheet and he called me a slur, Carlos, that’s fucked up!” 

Carlos slammed his locker at TK’s admission. He didn’t know that TK’s teacher was bullying him and that pissed him off, maybe more than it should’ve, but TK is his best friend and Carlos can’t bare the thought of TK getting in trouble because he doesn’t want to be bullied by a faculty member. 

“Tomorrow morning we’re coming in early and you are reporting him, but this afternoon is going to be fun and we aren’t going to worry about anything, we’re just going to let all our worries go, okay?” Carlos said, finishing his rhetorical question with a smile. 

TK sighed and walked with Carlos out to the student parking lot in silence. They drove together, much like they always did, so TK got in the driver’s seat while Carlos got in the passenger seat, buckling his seatbelt immediately upon sitting down, making sure it was tight.

He would deny that TK’s driving was terrifying if he was asked about it, though. That being said, he preferred to drive, but TK would also bitch the entire car ride about how Carlos was boring when he drove because he went the speed limit and didn’t do anything illegal. 

So, instead of the twenty-minute commute when Carlos would drive, it turned into a thirteen-minute commute as TK sped through yellow lights, taking shortcuts through backroads before making a horrifying turn into his driveway, noticing that his dad wasn’t home. He also noted that Carlos’ sister wasn’t home yet, but his mother was. 

“Ready to go learn, Ty?” Carlos grinned, sort of rattled from TK’s driving, but he tried to keep his composure as he unbuckled his seatbelt with one hand and grabbed his bag with the other. TK snorted and reached behind them to grab his own bag before getting out with Carlos. 

“Do I have a choice?” TK grumbled, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. 

He dropped his backpack off right inside the door to his house before locking the door and practically sprinted over to Carlos’ house before remembering what they were going to be doing. He ran _back_ to his house, changed clothes, then ran back, knocking on his front door frantically.

“Coming!” Carlos called from inside the house. TK could hear his footsteps running towards the door. He figured out that Carlos was in socks by the sound of his footsteps stopping before he was close enough to the door, so he knew that Carlos had slid the rest of the way to the door. 

“Please remember I have no idea what I’m doing and I’ve never done this type of thing before,” TK said immediately after Carlos opened the door, not allowing Carlos to get a word in. 

TK wasn’t used to not being good at things, he stuck to what he knew, stuck to what he was good at and never strayed from it. He built on his skills and made himself better. The simple fact that he was even trying this was big for him. 

“I know, and this means a lot to me that you’re even trying it,” Carlos gave a soft smile and pulled TK into a hug, ignoring TK’s grumbles. 

“Carlos, **I can’t believe you dragged me into this** ,” TK sighed, letting himself fold into the hug, breathing in Carlos’ body wash. 

“It’ll be fun, I promise, now let’s go downstairs. I already brought your milkshake down there so you don’t need to worry about it,” Carlos said, pulling away from TK. He let his hand slide down TK’s arm, his hand catching TK’s as he began to pull TK down the hall to the stairs. 

TK’s heart skipped a beat as Carlos held onto his hand. He wanted to have photographic evidence of the very second he fell completely and utterly in love with his best friend. 

∆

Exactly three months later Carlos and TK were stepping onto the stage at their high school in front of hundreds of other students and adults. Both boys were dressed in all black, Carlos had a white bowtie and TK had a blue one. 

They’d both been fairly quiet backstage, TK’s leg had been bouncing up and down as he sat, waiting. When they were up next, Carlos had to shake TK to get his attention.

“Up next, dancing swing to Big and Bad, it’s our very own debate team champion, Carlos Reyes, with his partner, soccer star, TK Strand!” the announcers voice cut into TK’s thoughts and he came screeching to a halt as he heard _partner_ ring through the crowd. 

The music started and they both ran out, taking to opposite sides of the stage, their hands and feet moving quickly. Carlos had a huge smile on his face while TK had a small smirk on his.

The first big move they had planned was nearly right out of the gate, TK went down as he took Carlos’ hands. Carlos swung one leg over TK as he was crouched down and as soon as both his feet were planted on the ground, TK shuffled his feet forward and allowed Carlos to pull him off the ground and into his arms. 

The crowded loved it and they screamed even louder when Carlos effortlessly tossed TK off his shoulders behind him. 

The following step had made TK laugh when he first learned it. Carlos had, very seriously, called the step “chicken walks” and they had to take a five-minute break so TK could stop laughing.

That step was followed by a series of kicks and spins that had TK momentarily dizzy before he was back-to-back, locking arms with Carlos, allowing himself to be moved as Carlos bent forward. 

He bounced off the ground and straight back into Carlos’ arms, and then he was up and over one more time, making the crowd yell excitedly. They did a few kick-steps, a full spin, and then Carlos grabbed TK’s hand and pulled him in, which had the effect that TK was flung through the air before being caught by Carlos with one arm. 

TK was facing the crowd as he was held for a couple of beats, so he set his head on top of his palms, then waved to the crowd before being gently tossed back to the ground. 

As the downbeats hit, Carlos and TK were in sync as they bent slightly, hitting every “hey, hey, hey” of the song with their arms stretched out, then they moved to a clap whilst facing each other. 

TK swears he blacked out somewhere in the middle, his world coming into focus as the music came to an end as he and Carlos crumpled on the floor together. 

They were both breathing heavily as they stood back up and waved to the crowd, bowing as they were cheered off. TK stepped off to the side a bit, allowing Carlos to get applauded by himself, seeing as he had choreographed the entire routine himself. He also singlehandedly taught TK.

They ran off the stage, Carlos reaching the side first, whirling around to talk to TK, who came flying at him. Carlos was just glad that he had pretty good reflexes and could catch well. 

TK didn’t say a word before he pressed his lips to Carlos’ in a messy kiss. Both of them were sweaty and still trying to catch their breaths. 

“ **I can’t believe you dragged me into this,** ” TK mumbled against Carlos’ lips. Carlos smiled and pressed their lips together another time, feeling TK settle a bit into his hold. 

“Did you at least have fun?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song Carlos and TK danced to is called Big and Bad.   
> i did not actually come up with any choreography, i got it from _Dancing With the Stars_
> 
> Meryl Davis and Maks Chmerkovskiy danced to it!  
> you can watch their routine [here!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pavQKeXhFs)


	5. GROWTH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> –– DAY 4: NOVEMBER 5TH  
>  “ i’m proud of you ” + future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's short and i took creative liberty to say that "future" is anything after 1.01 lmao

TK hardly ever heard the words come from his mother’s mouth growing up, his father was basically absent, and he grew up alone. He acted out and made stupid decisions as a teenager, desperate for his parents’ attention.

He did everything he could think of. He tried being a straight-A student in school, getting perfect grades in every class, taking all honours classes, and tutoring the middle schoolers. 

Halfway through his sophomore year, everything fell apart. His boyfriend, Thomas, started abusing him. Thomas would punch TK to make sure he knew that he wasn’t supposed to hang out or see anyone that wasn’t him. 

TK stuck around and took the abuse, too scared of what Thomas would do if he left.

Eventually, TK tried to kill himself, taking the bottle of painkillers that Owen had left after an injury he’d gotten at work. Owen had come to visit TK twice while he was recovering in inpatient. He never told TK that he was happy his only son survived. He never told TK that he loved him. 

So, after recovering and being released, TK turned to drugs, getting addicted quickly. He found out that he didn’t always necessarily need to pay with money to get the drugs he wanted, which made his addiction worse. He left home as soon as he could, living with a few other addicts, trying to make ends meet by any means necessary. 

Thomas hadn’t broken up with TK after TK had been released, but in between being released and moving out of his father’s house, he’d gotten talked to about red flags in relationships, which had opened TK’s eyes to what Thomas was doing to him. 

Thomas demanded that TK stop seeing his friends, and when TK refused, Thomas broke up with him, saying that no one wanted to date a cheater. TK spiralled faster and faster, eventually dropping out as a high school senior, completely alone.

After living under overpasses and homeless shelters for a few years, he eventually overdosed and woke up in the hospital, much to his displeasure. Owen was sat next to him in an uncomfortable hospital chair, his head in his hands. 

They moved out of the state, Owen claiming that he had a job waiting for him in a different state, claiming that New York had nothing left to offer either of them. 

Owen stayed with TK through all the withdrawals and pain he was going through, then about two and a half weeks, TK met Officer Carlos Reyes while he was out with Owen and his new team. 

They hit it off pretty fast, a couple of hook ups here and there, then after several months of failing to get close to TK, Carlos decided to take things a little bit slower, so he decided to sit down with TK after two failed dinner attempts, arresting him for a bar fight, and saving him from getting shot at. 

TK spilled everything about his past, his barely-there mother and father, his abusive relationships, his struggles with drug addiction, and the final kicker, his brush with death, the overdose that nearly killed him. The overdose that stopped his heart in the homeless shelter in the middle of the night. 

After TK had finished talking Carlos put his hands over the shaking hands TK had in his lap, squeezing gently, waiting for TK to look up and make eye contact with him. 

“TK, hey, look at me,” Carlos gave TK’s hands another squeeze. When TK looked back up, Carlos continued, “ **I’m proud of you.** I’m so proud of everything that you’ve accomplished in the seven months that I’ve known you, okay? I don’t care about what you were like back in New York. I care about the insane amount of progress that you’ve made here in Texas.” 

TK had tried so hard to keep his composure, but having someone _finally_ tell him that they were proud of him opened a floodgate from somewhere inside him. He completely broke down and had nowhere to run. He had to let Carlos see the ugly side of him that wasn’t good when he got any type of praise or love. 

If Carlos didn’t high-tail it out of there at this, TK would know he really cared. 

“Y-You know, you’re the first-” TK took a deep breath, trying to slow his brain down as it ran through every possible outcome. “You-You’re the first person to ever say that to me.”


	6. STAY ON THE LINE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> –– DAY 5: NOVEMBER 6TH   
>  “ can i sleep here tonight? ” + hurt/comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor baby tk

The calls didn’t stop. They wouldn’t stop. TK couldn’t breathe, he was so close to breaking, he felt like he’d been stretched thin. Everything was so loud and he felt like he was either going to pass out or vomit, maybe both. 

He had ten minutes before his shift was over when the call came in. Serial arsonist. So far: three fatalities, about a dozen people still left in the building. When the 126 arrived on the scene, TK could only hope and pray they could get the blazing fire under control and get everyone out of the fire as quickly as possible. 

“Captain Strand,” Carlos’ voice rang out, snapping TK back to reality. “We believe the arsonist used an accelerant, but we aren’t sure what was used. There are still eleven people inside the building that are unaccounted for.” Carlos locked eyes with TK, noticing that TK looked exhausted. 

“Alright, everyone’s going in, eleven people are unaccounted for. When you find someone and get them out, radio it in so we know how many people are still in the building. Let’s go!” Owen watched as the 126 ran into the building one by one, two neighbouring stations already trying to douse the fire. 

Slowly people radioed in that they got someone out safely, it was one, then someone would come back and say they got three more out. Soon enough, only three people were left inside the building. Marjan, Judd, and TK were all still inside the building. Marjan had found two of them and stumbled into Judd on the way down, so they made their way out together, hearing the foundation crack and crumble above them. 

Someone screamed from farther away, a woman. Carlos turned around and faced her, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he looked away from the flames. His heart was pounding. Carlos recognised the woman as someone that came out of the building earlier, she’d been asking if another woman and service dog had come out of the building yet. 

∆

“AFD, if you’re in here, please call out!” TK shouted. He coughed a couple of times, knowing he wasn’t going to last much longer in the building and he needed to get out. He couldn’t hear much over the crackling of the fire, but he thought he had heard a dog bark nearby. 

TK didn’t waste any time as he sprinted towards the noise, grabbing his radio as he moved swiftly, dodging parts of the building that were still burning. He went to the correct channel and called it in. 

“This is firefighter TK Strand, is officer Carlos Reyes still on the scene?” he asked, ducking under a support beam. He got confirmation from Carlos and the go-ahead to ask whatever he needed to ask. “Is there any information about the final occupant? I thought I heard a dog in here too.” 

“The final occupant is twenty-four-year-old Amanda Grey, she should be in there with her service dog, Oberon, a three-year-old German Shepherd. Be advised that Grey has seizures and is deaf,” Carlos said back quickly, a sense of urgency in his voice. “Oh, and firefighter Strand, please be careful and get out quickly.”

TK continued to move, groaning as he moved over and under and around debris. The barking continued, getting louder and louder as he got closer. He saw a flash of black and tan and the barking got even louder. 

The dog, Oberon, led TK another fifteen feet into the room and he saw Amanda Grey, lying unconscious on the ground. He moved over carefully, making sure Oberon was okay with him taking his handler. 

He took his oxygen mask off and put it over Amanda’s nose and mouth, moving his face mask up to cover his own nose. Picking Amanda up was easy, manoeuvring both of them out of the building while making sure Oberon stayed close and safe proved to be extremely difficult. 

He couldn’t radio for help since his hands were full, but he got down to the ground floor and found the quickest exit, it wasn’t very well lit, but it would get all three of them out and at a safe distance away from the building. 

Then, TK collapsed and the building came crashing down with him. There was no word from TK, no one had any idea where he was in the building. It was radio silent and all Carlos could hear was his heart pounding in his ears. 

“TK?” Owen called into the radio. “TK!” 

“Are there any other entrances or exits out of the building?” Carlos asked the building manager. The building manager nodded and pointed Carlos around to the side of the building, allowing Carlos to throw caution to the wind and run as fast as his legs would take him. 

“TK?” Carlos skidded to a halt in front of TK’s motionless body, scrambling for his radio, calling for two of the ambulances to come around to the side. “TK, can you hear me? Please wake up, baby.”

∆

His lungs hurt so bad and his chest felt tight. He tried to sit up but he couldn’t, so he just groaned. He could feel someone’s hands squeeze his own and he tried to squeeze back but he felt weak. 

All TK could think of was the woman and her service dog and if they were okay. He opened his eyes and turned his head to the side, coughing. He took his free hand and rubbed his chest, groaning again.

“Hey kiddo, we’re back at the station,” Owen’s voice came through the fog in TK’s brain. He blinked a few times and saw Owen sitting on the edge of TK’s bunk, Buttercup sitting a few inches away from Owen. “Buttercup was worried sick.”

TK reached out to Buttercup, scratching behind one of his ears before moving back to the little bedside table that held a lamp and TK’s water bottle. He picked up the water bottle and opened it, chugging half the contents before setting it between his legs. 

“Sorry, dad,” TK spoke, his voice a little bit hoarse. “What time is it?” He searched around for his phone but gave up after a minute when he couldn’t find it.

“Just before midnight, your shift ended two hours ago, but I figured I’d let you hang out here instead of the hospital. They said you had minor smoke inhalation, and you were a bit dehydrated. They said you most likely passed out from exhaustion and dehydration, so drink lots of water.”

TK nodded, opening his water bottle back up and taking another swig. He’d lay here until the team left on a call, then he could go home without being bombarded by questions from his father.

∆

TK sat in his car for ten minutes before he even turned the key in the ignition. He pulled up Carlos’ contact information and pressed his phone number, calling him. Carlos picked up almost immediately, questioning if TK was alright. 

“I’m okay, I saw your texts, figured I should probably let you know how I’m doing,” TK said, suppressing a cough. “I saw a body while I was in there, there was someone else in the building and I didn’t get them. I let someone die, Carlos.” 

TK’s voice was shaking and he wanted to cry but he couldn’t. He needed to get home. 

_Home._

“Carlos, when does your shift end?” TK made up his mind. 

“I get off at midnight, so I’ll be home in about twenty minutes,” Carlos responded. “TK, do you want me to stay on the line with you?” 

“Please,” TK choked out. He wasn’t far from Carlos’ house. It was closer to the fire station and police station, so TK just drove to Carlos’ house before remembering he didn’t have a key and Carlos wasn’t home. 

TK had gotten out of his car and looked at his watch, asking, “Carlos, when will you be home?” It was ten minutes after midnight and TK was feeling a little bit impatient.

“Five to ten minutes, then we can switch to FaceTime if you want to, baby,” Carlos said softly, knowing TK needed to be able to see him. He needed to see what was real. 

Carlos talked about his day until he pulled into his driveway, spotting TK’s car parked in the empty spot where he usually parked if he visited. He quickly got out of the car and hurried up the pathway to his front door. 

“Carlos,” TK looked up and nearly started sobbing at the sight of his boyfriend. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Carlos’ waist. “I– **Can I sleep here tonight**?”

“Of course, baby,” Carlos mumbled, pressing a kiss into TK’s hair, allowing him to relax into the hug. “Come on, let’s go inside.”


	7. SOBRIETY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> –– DAY 6: NOVEMBER 7TH   
>  “ i haven’t felt this good in a while ” + fun/birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~definitely not based off the fact that my 21st birthday was the first birthday in 5 years that i spent sober~~

TK was dreading his birthday. Every birthday since he was fifteen had included some type of drug or alcoholic beverage and this would be the first year that he wouldn’t be on any type of substance. Needless to say, he was worried. 

“Carlos, please, whatever my dad has told you, I really don’t want to do a party. Parties just stress me out and that’s when I’ll relapse because I’ll be so stressed out about being a good host and-” 

Carlos cut TK off, taking ahold of his shoulders and squeezing gently before moving one hand to TK’s chin, tilting his head up so they were making eye contact. 

“TK, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. And, if your dad insists on having a party for you, then we won’t stay long, I’ll fake an illness or something and we can leave early,” Carlos smiled, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to TK’s lips. 

“Thank you, I love you so much,” TK whispered, stealing one last kiss before hugging Carlos as tightly as he could. 

Once they released each other, TK pulled out his phone, feeling it buzz over and over again in his pocket. He groaned as he read through the multiple text messages his father had sent him, already dreading the upcoming week. 

“If I kill myself, you know why,” TK rolled his eyes, slipping his phone into his back pocket before pressing himself up against Carlos as much as he could, hugging him tightly. “I love you lots, I gotta go see what my dad wants me for, now. See you after you get off work?” 

Carlos nodded and watched TK jog out to his car and get in, driving off after sitting in his car searching for the right playlist to listen to, just like he did every time he got in the car.

∆

The week seemed to fly by, TK was getting antsy because no one, not even Carlos, had said anything to him about a birthday party and it wasn’t like Owen Strand to not throw TK a birthday party. Even though he knew TK wasn’t sober, or even during the three birthdays he spent in rehab, Owen successfully threw TK a “party” of some sort every single year for twenty-six years.

Soon enough, Saturday came and TK was pacing around Carlos’ apartment all morning, waiting for something to happen. He worked himself into a panic more than once over nothing and ended up nearly passing out at one point.

“Hey, Ty?” Carlos sounded unsure, his voice was soft compared to his normal speaking voice. “Can I give you the first part of your present?” TK turned around to see the box Carlos was holding, wrapped in blue wrapping paper with a darker blue box on top of it. He held it out to TK once TK had shown interest in it. 

TK took great care in unwrapping the present, finding out that the box contained a sort of scrapbook/photo album, full of pictures of the two of them together. He flipped it open and saw the first picture ever taken of them. 

It was a picture of them out on the dance floor the first night they danced together, Carlos’ eyes were crinkled up at the sides and TK’s head was thrown back in laughter. He loved that picture because he loved how happy Carlos looked.

The second page contained three pictures, it was a picture of them and the drinks they’d ordered about twenty minutes before arriving back at Carlos’ apartment and having sex on the couch. TK blushed at the memory.

The third page was the stubs to the first movie they went to see together and TK smiled, remembering the film they went to see. It was supposedly a good movie, but TK didn’t remember much of it since he was a little bit too focused on Carlos the whole time.

He went through the entire scrapbook, spotting a little note at the end, folded up and around a small box, one that would normally hold some type of jewellery. He set it on the couch next to his legs before unfolding the note and reading it.

_TK_   
_Happy birthday, TK! You’re finally 27 and I’m so glad I got to meet you and spend the last year and four months with you. You’ve grown so much since I met you. You carry yourself differently, you’re more confident and happy and I never want to see that fade._   
_You’ve been through a lot and even when shit got rough, you powered through it and now you’re here with me, and you’re unfortunately you’re stuck with me for a very, very long time._   
_Tyler Kennedy Strand, will you move in with me?_   
_P.S. I got your dad to stop planning a surprise party for you, the only downside is he thinks we’re out of town until Monday_

TK looked up and saw Carlos holding the box. Once he noticed TK looking up at him Carlos opened the box, revealing a silver key, presumably the one that fit the lock to Carlos’ front door. 

All TK could do was nod, too choked up to force words to come out of his mouth. He tackled Carlos into a hug, quietly letting tears roll down his face, as he held Carlos close. 

“ **I haven’t felt this good in a while** ,” TK mumbled against Carlos’ chest, his heart beating frantically against his ribcage. 

TK was recovering, he was able to spend a birthday sober for the first time in years. He spent his twenty-seventh birthday sober and he spent it with someone that he loves and he could honestly say now that he looks forward to his next birthday and the ones after that.


	8. CRIME & PUNISHMENT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> –– DAY 7: NOVEMBER 8TH  
> “ free choice ” + smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sneak peek at a bigger smut piece :)

“You want to run that by me again?” Carlos asked, his arms crossed over his chest. He raised an eyebrow at TK's deafening silence in the room. 

TK was sitting on the couch, shivering, dressed only in the purple lace panties and thigh-high socks that Carlos had left out for him that morning. He whined and shifted, avoiding Carlos’ gaze. 

“I asked you a question, you had better answer while you still can,” Carlos snapped his fingers in front of TK’s face to get his attention before grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up. “So, do you want to run that by me again?”

“No, _Papi_ , I’ll be a good boy,” TK whined, blinking up at Carlos until Carlos let go of his face. “I’m sorry.” Carlos ran his hand through TK’s hair, tugging gently before fully letting go.

“Good boy. Now, I have to run some errands, can I trust you to stay home by yourself or do you need to come with?” Carlos asked, seeing TK perk up at the sound of his voice again. He shook his head, telling Carlos he could be trusted at home by himself. “Okay, you be good for me; you know the rules and you know what happens if you do break them.”

TK nodded, “I love you, _Papi_ , I’ll be good while you’re gone!” Carlos smiled and bent down to kiss TK. 

“I love you too, baby.” 

∆

TK looked in the closet, searching for a better outfit, one that would suit his plan. He smiled when he came across the perfect outfit. Carlos hadn’t seen it before, which meant it would be a nice surprise for when he did see it. 

The outfit consisted of a long-sleeve red crop top that said _baby boy_ on it, a red plaid mini-skirt, a lace thong, and red thigh highs. He had to resist touching himself, but the thong felt really nice. 

TK whined and picked up his phone, opening his messages to Carlos. He rapid-fired three texts to Carlos, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. He was determined to behave for Carlos, knowing that the last time Carlos left him alone he hadn’t followed the rules and gotten in trouble for two days.

**When are you coming home?**  
**I can’t do it.**  
**Please come home, I can’t do it, I wanna touch so bad!**

Carlos didn’t respond. It was a test to see if TK could tough it out and behave. He was sitting outside the house and had been for five minutes when TK texted. Normally Carlos never got a text, usually, he would get pictures or videos after the fact. 

He knew that if TK didn’t get a response, he was bound to act up, but Carlos rarely caught him. He had to time it perfectly. TK would text, then there was the waiting period for Carlos to respond, then he acted up and broke the rules. 

Carlos waited another six minutes to get out of the car before he headed inside. He was glad the front door didn’t creak when it opened and that he knew where all the creaky floorboards were. 

He walked down the hallway to the bedroom, finding it ajar, which was unlike TK. He peered into the bedroom and saw TK kneeling on the bed, rutting up against his pillow. Carlos snapped a picture of how TK was positioned on the bed before clearing his throat in the doorway. TK moaned and stopped moving. He slowly started to turn around to face Carlos.

“No, face forward, and don’t stop on my behalf. It looked like you were enjoying yourself,” Carlos said, stepping into the bedroom. “Come on, baby, you looked so good, so pretty for me.”

TK whimpered and slowly started to move his hips again, his thong not giving him any protection from the friction. He gave another pathetic whine and jerked his hips when he felt something cold and wet at his hole. 

“It’s just my finger, sweetheart. It’s gonna be a long day for you,” Carlos chuckled, slowly pushing in. TK moaned again, trying to push back against Carlos’ finger. “Ah, no. As long as I’ve got my fingers inside of you, you are not to make any noise. Got it?”

“Yes, _Papi_ , but is that really all you can do?” TK asked cockily, a smug grin on his face. He tried to look back at Carlos until Carlos grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled, forcing him to stay facing forward. 

“Remember who you’re talking to, brat,” Carlos growled, pulling TK’s hair again as he slowly pushed a second finger inside of his sub. “You’re already a bit loose, did you get yourself ready for me?” 

TK tried to nod his head, not wanting to lie to Carlos and make his punishment worse, but with the tight grip Carlos kept on his hair, he couldn’t properly nod, so he just wiggled his ass for Carlos. 

“Don’t get bratty on me now, baby boy. I treat you like a prince and this is how you repay me?” Carlos grinned. “We’re really going to have to fix this little attitude of yours, make sure you remember who’s in charge here.” 

Carlos roughly shoved a third finger inside TK, making him cry out at the sudden intrusion. He saw TK’s cock twitch inside the lace fabric of the thong; he had dropped down to rest his hands on the bed, trying to hold himself up as Carlos fingered him open.

“Plea-” TK gasped. “ _Papi_ , please!” 

“What? Do you think you deserve to cum? After you were explicitly told to not break any rules and then went ahead and broke the rules,” Carlos grunted, letting go of TK’s hair and moving back, pulling his fingers out of TK, leaving him empty. 

He moved around to the side of the bed, closer to where TK’s head was. He put his fingers in TK’s mouth to try and keep him busy so he wouldn’t try to speak again. 

“How about this, I’ll let you cum now, and then later I’ll give you your punishment. How does that sound?” Carlos asked, hooking his fingers in TK’s mouth, forcing him to make eye contact. “I want you to give me a verbal response, okay?” Carlos took his fingers out of TK’s mouth and allowed him to speak.

“Sounds wonderful, thank you, _Papi_ ,” TK slurred, giving Carlos a dopey smile, his eyes glossy. Carlos knew he had to get TK fast, but he was skilled in getting TK off quickly.

He knew all the right tips and tricks for getting TK amped up and knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. So he got started, not wasting any time. One hand went back to TK’s ass, his fingers pressing back at his hole. His other hand was busy toying with TK’s cock, making sure he was extra-sensitive.

All TK could manage was a few quiet mewls here and there, his body tensing and jerking with Carlos’ every move. His cock would get neglected right up until he pressed his crotch into the pillow, needing a moment to get himself under control, lest he come so quickly.

“Brat, thinking you get a break. Not until I say so,” Carlos grabbed TK’s hips and yanked him back so his own cock was inches away from TK’s ass. “Oh, you spoiled brat.” Carlos couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew he was going to end up giving TK what he wanted in exchange for his own pleasure.

TK had the upper-hand, it still seemed like he was getting rewarded for misbehaving and Carlos had to make sure TK knew this wasn’t a reward. 

“You wanted to touch yourself, so go ahead and touch yourself, make yourself feel good for me, we’re going to have some fun with you,” Carlos bent over and grabbed TK’s hair, pulling him back and growling in his ear. He released TK with a final nip to the lobe, a warning to do as he was told.


End file.
